July 18, Evan Hulbert

Taking a stroll through old Vienna – that's what today's diary entry by double bassist Evan Hulbert invites you to do:

"The piano has always been an important part of my life – it was my first instrument and I've somehow kept it in my life all these years. To be able to play without the expectation of professional (semi) perfection is enormously valuable and has periodically reminded me why I do this for a living! It's important for me to 'come up for air' occasionally given the challenging nature of the music we often play.

This short Walz-miniature was written by the great Lithuanian-American virtuoso Leopold Godowsky in 1919, as part of a larger set entitled Triakontameron. It is a nostalgic portrait of 'Old' Vienna, of smoke-filled cafés and salons, gilded balustrades and gentlemen in tailcoats; a city of limitless artistic fertility. The harmonies and motives in Old Vienna prefigure the developments of Schoenberg and his followers, who form the cornerstone of Klangforum Wien's repertoire."

- Evan Hulbert (double bass)

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In the form of a Digital Diary with weekly contributions, the ensemble members themselves provide a comprehensive and personal access to their everyday lives, starting at the anniversary day, June 13. On the occasion of Klangforum Wien's 40th anniversary, the ensemble is providing an insight into its artistic practices and daily routines.